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SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL
PREPARING FOR THE ORAL DEFENSE OF THE DISSERTATION
The oral dissertation defense is scheduled by the chair of the committee and the coordinator of doctoral
programs. For scheduling to take place, the student must submit the REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO
SCHEDULE DISSERTATION DEFENSE form with signatures of all committee members. Signatures on this
form indicate that the committee members have received the final draft of the dissertation and have committed
to attend and participate in the defense at the indicated date and time. Announcement of the defense will be
made in the appropriate university news media and communicated to appropriate members of the university
community through the Office of Graduate Studies. The oral defense is open to the public; the university
community and all interested individuals are encouraged to attend.
The defense is chaired by the Dissertation Committee Chair who, acting as moderator, rules on questions of
procedure and protocol that may arise during the defense. The overall goal is the public presentation and
defense of the study. During the defense, the committee will explore, with the candidate, research methods
employed in conducting the study, findings and conclusions revealed by the study and contributions the study is
expected to offer in the decision making processes. In this way, the candidate and examiners reach a more
extensive insight into the candidate's research area.
During the oral defense, all members of the Dissertation Committee must be present and must render a
judgment on the candidate's performance. Should any member of the committee be unable to attend, a
substitute for the oral defense may be provided. Specific requirements for this substitution are noted in the
Student and Faculty Handbook on the website (http://www.subr.edu/index.cfm/page/8/n/44).
1. Once assembled, the chairperson should introduce the committee and the candidate
a. Introductions should be non – biased toward the oral defense.
b. The committee chair should explain the purpose of the session and the decisions to be made.
c. The committee chair should introduce the candidate giving brief details of prior degrees, research
experience and other relevant information.
d. As moderator, the chair should indicate the candidate’s allotted presentation time, question and
answer session for the committee, question and answer time for the public and whether the candidate
can be interrupted during the presentation.
e. Any handouts etc. should be distributed prior to beginning the oral presentation.
2. Dissertation Defense Results
a. The candidate and non-committee attendees will be dismissed after all questions for the candidate
have been addressed.
b. Committee members will discuss and vote on the pass / fail status of (1) the oral defense and (2) the
written document. The decision to pass a candidate in either category may include no more than one
negative committee member vote. After the decisions have been made, the chair should call the
candidate back into the room to privately discuss the decision(s) with the committee.
c. Signatures should be obtained on both the Approval of the Oral Dissertation and the Electronic Thesis
and Dissertation forms. If extensive editing of the writing document is required of the candidate,
committee members may withhold their signatures pending the required changes, or the members may
sign to approve the written document, while the chair withholds his or her signature, pending final
approval of the corrected document.
d. In the event that the committee votes not to pass the student on either the written document or oral
defense, the committee is under no obligation to permit the candidate to repeat either portion of the
defense. A decision to allow another defense must be made by the committee, and should be
documented in writing to the student and to the Office of Graduate Studies. Specific requirements should
be clearly delineated.
e. A second opportunity to present a dissertation defense may occur no sooner than one month after the
first attempt and no later than two semesters (including summer) after the first attempt. During this
time, the student must continue to register for Dissertation Research Hours (800). Failure to pass the
second defense will result in the termination of the student’s enrollment in the Doctoral Program.
3. After a successful defense, the student should work with the chair to prepare the document for publication.
Helpful Suggestions for Students
1. Attend dissertation defenses. The best way for graduate students to prepare for the dissertation
defense is to regularly attend the defenses of their colleagues—those internal and external to their
respective fields of expertise. They should be doing so throughout their programs, not just several weeks
prior to their own defense.
2. Know the rituals. What happens at a dissertation defense? Students should discuss the intricacies of the
defense with their advisors, as there are many variations. Generally, the dissertation chair reserves a
conference room or meeting room for the defense. At Southern University, dissertation defenses are held
in the graduate college or graduate school. Attendees may or may not be invited to sit at the same table
as committee members. After the presentation, the student and the attendees are usually dismissed from
the room while the committee members deliberate. Then, the candidate and the attendees are brought
back into the room and the candidate is congratulated and referred to by his or her new title for the first
time. At this point the committee meets privately with the advisee to discuss revisions or other relevant
matters.
3. Know the time allocated. Students should ascertain how much time their particular departments
allocate to the complete oral defense, presentation and questioning, and should confer with their
advisors. Most defenses last approximately two hours, including deliberation time for committee
members.
4. Use PowerPoint. PowerPoint presentations is a professional approach that can do justice to the vast
research that comprises the dissertation. PowerPoint slides should encapsulate the study and focus on its
most salient findings. In preparing, students should ask these questions: “What do I want people to know
about my dissertation? What is the most important information that I can present and talk about?”
Presenters should consider the rules of chartsmanship and create a goal-oriented presentation that
navigates attendees through a logical, point-by-point sequence of information that builds to the
conclusion in a clear and focused direction.
5. Be the authority figure. When presenting, students should think of themselves as authorities who best
understand the information being presented and who stand in an ideal position to instruct attendees.
The presentation should be instructional or expository, so they should consider themselves as teachers—
experts in their own right—informing the audience about the research findings. This perspective reverses
the power differential and re-centers the student in a position of authority—one who has wisdom and
knowledge and who teaches the committee the knowledge acquired.
6. Prepare slides. Prepare PowerPoint slides by using information in the dissertation’s first chapter (which
actually is the overview of the dissertation) as a framework or outline that reflects the logical sequencing
of information. However, substantive information in the entire dissertation should correspond with the
slides and also with the notes (see suggestion 8). In essence, presenters are reducing their dissertation to
a PowerPoint format. The amount of information presented should correspond to the time allocated for
the defense presentation. Ensure the internal and external quality of the slides, and make certain there is
integrity of information, as well as integrity in appearance of the slides. Slides should be readable and
professional-looking. PowerPoint provides a framework for the presentation but it should not become the
epicenter of the dissertation defense.
Slides should reflect the following:
Title of the dissertation, including the presenter’s name, department and date.
Department or program of study.
Committee acknowledgment: Include the names of the dissertation advisor and committee members.
Presenters should speak briefly about the contributions of each to the success of the work. It is
appropriate to acknowledge the spouse, significant other, family members, friends and others who have
lent support. Presenters may describe to the attendees why they chose their research and what informed
that decision: attendees are naturally curious about how researchers arrived at their topics.
Statement of the problem: Include a brief statement that draws researchers’ attention to a particular
critical situation revealed in the scholarship. Presenters are encouraged to incorporate several slides that
reflect statistics, data and information about the problem. Elements of the literature review should be
included to provide a viable framework that stands as evidence that critical experts in a given field concur
that there is merit in conducting the research, which fills a particular need for increased scholarship. (See
“literature review,” below.)
Significance of the research: Presenters should address the importance of the research to a wide pantheon
of shareholders, from those most invested as beneficiaries to those least. This segment of the
presentation focuses on the wider applications of the research
to the community at large.
Research question(s): List all of the research questions exactly as they appear in the text of the
dissertation.
Literature review: Presenters should provide an overview of salient critical studies. Such slides serve two
functions: They delineate the current critical perspective and they justify that the research advances the
scholarship through its research objective.
Method: Such slides provide an overview of the application of particular methods through which research
questions are answered. Presenters should include references to critical information that addresses the
rationale for the selection of a particular method and addresses issues of validity and reliability.
Results and analysis: Slides should reflect graphs, tables or charts that demonstrate critical elements of
the research findings or outcomes. Presenters sometimes include their hypotheses and the corresponding
results or analysis.
Discussion: Presenters should list and discuss salient findings and their applicability to their field of
expertise.
Limitations of the study: Generally, limitations emerge out of the research process or after the research
has concluded and draw attention to these questions: “If I had to do this study again, in what way would
it differ? Would another approach affect outcomes, and if so, how?”
Recommendations for future study: Where do students see the logical continuation of their work? This
opens the pathway for future scholars and extends the opportunity to enter into the academic
conversation.
The conclusion of the discussion, limitations and recommendations segments intersects naturally with the
questioning phase of the dissertation defense. Presenters should anticipate the round of questions from
committee members at this point.
7. Provide PowerPoint handouts. Prepare hard copies of the presentation for each committee member
and attendees and distribute them before the defense—it may be useful to delegate this responsibility to
a colleague (see No. 11). Send electronic copies to committee members who will attend the defense
remotely.
8. Prepare PowerPoint notes. A notes section appears at the bottom of each slide and should reflect
discussion points, culled from the text of the dissertation. Notes enable presenters to remain focused and
on track in an organized manner that sets up a series of bullet points that jog the memory and help the
presenters discuss additional details or elements of interest. The opportunity to elaborate may calm
nerves and help presenters rise above the formality of the defense by dovetailing into interesting
conversational elements that heighten audience interaction.
9. Anticipate questions. Successful graduate students are generally adept at anticipating test questions, as
their years of experience bear out. Applying these skills to the dissertation defense will also keep them in
good standing. Students should consider the academic expertise of their respective committee members.
In what areas would they most likely be focused? Advisees should be familiar with advisors’ theoretical or
methodological penchants, the manner in which they think and reason, and the emphasis placed on
certain elements of the dissertation as they confer throughout the dissertation process. Exposure to
committee members as they serve at other defenses provides excellent insight into how they work
together as a group and as individuals. Anticipation informed by knowledge is an important tool in
students’ dissertation defense tool kit.
10. Conduct a dress rehearsal. At some universities, it is common practice to schedule a pre-defense of the
dissertation, an opportunity to field possible questions from committee members and other faculty.
Students are not provided with the committee’s actual defense questions, but gain experience in
responding to questions that relate to their research. This preparatory experience initiates students into
the defense experience and inspires confidence. Several days prior to the actual defense, students should
schedule a dress rehearsal in the same room reserved for the defense. Exposure to the surroundings
ahead of time engenders comfort and reduces stress. Tech-smart rooms equipped with state-of-the-art
technology make the setup for students somewhat easier. If tech-smart rooms are not a possibility,
students should set up their own computer, projector and other equipment, such as phones, speakers or
video conferencing for an offsite committee member.
11. Delegate. Students should delegate to a trusted individual some of the smaller but important
responsibilities of the defense well ahead of schedule. This chosen person could set up the equipment for
the presentation, prepare the room on the day of defense, and prepare and distribute handouts.
12. Consider the X factor. While there are no guarantees of technological integrity or flawless appearances,
having Plan B as a backup is a good thing. Handouts can save the day if technology fails, and an
additional fresh shirt for a spilled coffee can be a salvation for the X factor.
13. Dress for success. The defense is a formal event in which the entire university community is invited.
The event signals a critical rite of passage for most doctoral students and for the faculty who have
supported them throughout a long and challenging process. While there are no general rules governing
appropriate attire at most universities, the event should be regarded with dignity and respect. Presenters
should dress as if they were delivering a paper at a conference or going to a job interview.
14. Prepare the night before. Keep everything as normal as possible, including sleeping and eating
patterns. Save the heavy celebratory meals and desserts for a post-defense treat.
15. Remember to laugh. Despite our best efforts and planning, we do not have complete control. Laugh at
what does not go according to plan and move on.
16. Think about post defense. After the defense, committee members may decide the dissertation requires
revision and will refrain from signing off until adjustments have been implemented. Such revisions may
include minor changes to the text that can be dealt with immediately. Other adjustments may require
elaborate restructuring, and there may be additional work to do. Students should immediately address
the committee’s concerns and implement all changes. Students need to remain focused on graduation
and complete the work that will take them there.
17. Consider professional editing and formatting services. The dissertation is not done until the
monograph is in final form according to departmental or graduate school specifications. At the end of
this process, students, as well as their budgets, are enervated. However, if budgets permit, it is advisable
to secure the professional services of a formatter or editor who can put the document into final form. The
journey to the doctoral degree is long and often arduous, but knowing how to navigate the course will
certainly sustain those who venture on the pathway to the Ph.D. The preparation of faculty and their
advisees is key to the safe harbor of degree completion and graduation.
Marianne Di Pierro, Ph.D. ASQ Higher Education Brief. 2010. Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
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